Spring is finally springing on the Front Range, forecasters, gardeners and snowmelt experts said Sunday.

With average temperatures nearly 8 degrees cooler than normal so far this month, daily high temperatures are predicted to be in the mid-6os to mid-70s all week, and each afternoon this week has a chance of showers or thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service in Denver.

The region has a 10 percent chance of showers today, but chances rise to 40 percent Tuesday and Wednesday. A chance of rain lingers through the weekend, as temperatures are forecast to reach 76 degrees Friday and Saturday and 71 Sunday, forecasters said.

For May, Denver’s official monitoring station at Denver International Airport shows 1.16 inches of precipitation, or 0.03 inches below normal for the month.

“As cool and wet as it’s been, we’re right on track for moisture,” said Kyle Fredin of the National Weather Service office in Boulder.

Daytime temperatures in the mountains should be in the 50s this week, with lows near freezing each night. The northern and central mountains could get snow again Tuesday night.

Warmer temperatures in the metro region mean it’s finally safe to plant vegetables, but with precautions, said Beth Zwinak, manager at Tagawa Gardens in Centennial.

Greenhouse plants need up to five days to acclimate to the outdoors, meaning a few hours each day to adapt to the cooler temperatures and direct sunlight, she said.

“It’s a lovely time to plant cooler- season plants, like spinach, lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower,” she said. “There’s still time left, but do it right away.”

The cool nights make ground cover and Wall of Water devices good choices, she said.

Recent cold and snow have meant a slow start to the snowmelt, as most rivers are running below normal, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs was flowing at 962 cubic feet per second Sunday. The 30- year median for this time of year is 1,930 cfs.

Rafters on the Colorado River, however, got an earlier start because of dam releases, said Sandra Winslow, manager at Whitewater Rafting LLC, a 36-year-old business in Glenwood Springs. As a result, the Colorado River was running at 2,200 cfs Sunday, she said.

The normal peak of the season is late May, but delayed snowmelt could mean a gangbuster season with the fast stream flow later this month.

Joey Bunch was a reporter for 12 years at The Denver Post before leaving to join The Gazette in Colorado Springs. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry. He likes stories more than reports.

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